Courses

Instructor: Glen Thompson

Description:
This course will study the state of Mediterranean Christianity in the first half of the fourth century. By focusing on Eusebius, Constantine, and Athanasius, and the “great and holy council” held at Nicaea in 325, we will investigate how a small, persecuted minority religion rose to a prominent part of Roman life, how its worship flowered, how its christology and ecclesiology developed, and how it struggled to maintain its unity of faith and practice. In addition to illustrated lectures, primary documents of the period will be studied in translation, and congregational Bible study materials will be shared for the 2025 celebration of the council’s 1700th anniversary.

During Winterim 2026, this course runs from 1:30–4:10pm, January 5–9, 2026.

Please note: In 2026, most STM classes are offered only one week and will be separate from the MDiv students' Winterim courses (see schedule for details). Also offered again for 2026, pastors have the option to audit a course instead of taking a course for credit. Check out the Winterim schedule! Room and board will be available for $250 (dorm room plus 14 meals in the cafeteria).

Registration will be available in the Student Information System (SIS) beginning September 8, 2025 and closes December 8, 2025. Use the "Login with Office 365 button" once you've received a student account and are logged in to Microsoft 365 with that student account. Need an account? Request one here.

When you've reached the "cart" during registration, there you will have the option to add the tuition fee to take the course for credit (the default registration is an audit).

WLS has been granted accreditation with ATS; therefore, the email domain has been changed from firstname.lastname@wisluthsem.org to firstname.lastname@wls.edu. Please use the new email domain to log in to Microsoft 365 and access WLS-related websites (e.g., Library Resources, SIS, SemNet).

Step-by-step instructions are provided here for all parts of the account setup and registration process.

Financial assistance is also available for those taking courses for credit. If your congregation is paying for your tuition, please submit a financial aid request form with that information so you may receive the tuition discount.

Area of Study: Church History
Tuition: $400
Course Number: CH5017
Course Credits: 1.0